Once a Jedi Master - Now a Jedi Slave
by Allana Cavanagh
Summary: A slight AU on what might have happened had Count Dooku not ordered the Zygerrian Queen to put Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka to death, and Obi-Wan and Rex had remained in the slave pits on Kadavo until Anakin's rescue. Not slash! Rated T for some violence and hurt!Obi.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, beautiful readers!**

 **This is my first real attempt at a Star Wars fanfic. I've been wanting to for a while, and I have a notebook full of ideas and crossed-out beginnings, but this is the first one I've really gotten into. Just my thoughts on what could've happened if Obi-Wan and Rex had stayed down in the slave pits in "Escape from Kadavo" until Anakin's rescue.**

 **Read and enjoy! Criticism is welcome - anything to make this better is greatly appreciated :)**

 **-Allana**

* * *

Obi-Wan stumbled slightly over a stone, his shovelful of rocks and minerals scattering across the hard ground. A slave driver's voice rang out angrily.

"Watch it, you lazy scug!" An electrowhip snapped, and Obi-Wan bit back a cry as a fresh line of pain opened across his back, stretching from shoulder to hip.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, ducking his head. "It won't happen again -"

"Shut up!" Another snap from the whip; he gritted his teeth. "No one told you to speak!" Again the whip came down and this time, he couldn't hold back the cry of pain. The guard laughed. "The famous Jedi Master, eh? Not so tough now, are you?" _Crack_. The whip bit into his already-searing back.

"Hey!" Rex's voice sounded, and Obi-Wan looked up in time to see the Captain reach out and block the downward swing of the electrowhip, letting it coil around his wrist. "That's enough!" The guard snarled, jerked the whip back, and struck the clone hard across the face.

"Back to work, both of you," he growled, and stalked off to harass another slave group. Rex offered a hand to the Jedi, pulling him to his feet. Obi-Wan winced as the pain in his back flared.

"Thank you, my friend," he said quietly, glancing sideways at the slave drivers. "You did not have to do that."

"Yes I did, General," Rex whispered, picking up Obi-Wan's shovel and pushing it into his hand. "My job here's to protect you, sir, whether you like it or not. It's my duty." Obi-Wan sighed.

"I appreciate that, Rex," he replied as he began shoveling again.

"Shut it!" The two received stinging lashes from a slave driver that had somehow slipped up behind them without their noticing. They shared a look, Obi-Wan silently apologizing, and went back to work.

By the end of the day, Obi-Wan had received three more beatings from different guards. The Zygerrians seemed to take a particularly savage glee in tormenting a Jedi they knew would not - could not - fight back.

He leaned heavily on Rex's shoulder as they were herded back to the barracks like livestock. Every particle of his body ached; his back burned like fire. He felt drained, exhausted. Rex guided him to the hard, narrow shelf that served as his bunk and helped him up onto it. He vanished into the throng of slaves shuffling tiredly to their respective places, returning a moment later with a small cup of water, which he passed up to Obi-Wan. He accepted it gratefully, draining the tiny cup in two gulps. Rex clapped him on the shoulder.

"Get some rest, sir," he said quietly. "Help will come, I'm sure of it." Obi-Wan nodded wordlessly, and Rex turned away to clamber onto his own bunk. Obi-Wan rested his head against the beam behind him, doing his best to block out the pain radiating through his body.

He closed his eyes.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the Jedi and the Captain had arrived in the Kadavo system, and Obi-Wan was exhausted. Not only was he forced to bear the same heavy load as the other slaves, but the guards' sadistic game had yet to abate. They watched him like hawks, seizing on any and every opportunity to bring a whip or electrostaff down on his back. Every movement now caused him pain; previously simple tasks became progressively more difficult as his strength faded, in turn giving the guards more reason to punish him.

He had all but given up hope. There had been no word or sign from the Republic, no sign of Anakin and Ahsoka. He feared they were in the same situation as himself, or worse.

The first few times he had taken a truly severe beating, Rex had stepped in in an effort to protect him, earning himself a similar punishment. After the third time this occurred, Obi-Wan directly ordered Rex to stop. The Captain was furious, but at Obi-Wan's insistence reluctantly agreed. Seeing Rex stand to one side, distressed but unable to help, only urged the guards to new heights. Watching the clone squirm was, to them, an added bonus.

So Obi-Wan was not surprised to hear the mocking voices of the slave drivers behind him. He gritted his teeth and continued to work, bracing himself for the bite of the whip.

He was _not_ expecting the currents of electricity that suddenly coursed through his body like fire as one of the guards pressed the end of his electrostaff to the collar encircling his neck. He collapsed, screaming in pain, muscles spasming uncontrollably. The guard laughed; others jeered and egged their compatriot on as Obi-Wan convulsed on the hard ground.

He didn't know how much time passed before the guard raised the staff away from him.

"Get up, scug," he growled, kicking Obi-Wan viciously in the side and eliciting a sharp gasp from the Jedi. "I said get up!" An electrowhip snapped; Obi-Wan arched his back as a fresh line of pain erupted across his already-mutilated body.

The lash fell again. A second guard joined the first, and they alternated swings.

Again.

And again.

The edges of his vision whited out. He was dimly aware of a voice crying out in pain, echoing as though from a great distance. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he realized the voice was his own.

Rex was shouting now; Obi-Wan seized on the familiarity of the voice, clinging to it like a lifeline.

"-up, General!" Rex was saying. "You have to get up, they're not going to stop until you do!"

"Shut it!" A guard bellowed. A thud, a curse. Obi-Wan raised his head with a supreme effort, searching for the Captain. He found him standing not far off, his path blocked by an angry guard and with blood streaming from a cut on his face.

"Get up!" Rex shouted, dodging the guard's next blow. Obi-Wan struggled to push himself up, letting out a barely-stifled moan as pain seared through him. He managed to prop himself on his forearms where he stayed, trembling, for a moment, before his arms gave out. He hit the ground again.

Another current ripped through him, driving him into the ground with an agonized cry. Darkness swirled across his vision, and his world dissolved into sound bytes, flashing images:

Rex was shouting again, a guard shouting back.

The slave driver above him was taunting him, mocking his pain as he writhed on the ground covered in sweat, blood, and filth.

The pain was intensifying, and now his very atoms must be tearing themselves apart; there was no other way he could be in such agony.

He was sobbing, begging for release.

A new voice, filled with rage.

A blue flash.

The distinctive hum of a lightsaber.

Sparks. The searing current vanished.

Darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello lovelies! My apologies for not posting this sooner (I hope you didn't suffocate in my absence, ObiAniSoka... air is rather important, you know). I've had it written in my notebook, I just haven't had time to type it up with all the makeup work I've had to do this week from missing two days of school. Of** ** _course_** **the one time I get sick (which NEVER happens), there just had to be two tests I missed, plus two more on top of that. Ugh.**

 **But thankfully, I survived the horrors of my AP Psychology, Finite, and Meteorology classes, so back to the writing! The plot bunnies must be kept fed, or they go back under the bed to hang out with their rowdy cousins the dust bunnies, and we can't let that happen.**

 **Reviewers will receive cookies and my undying gratitude :)**

* * *

The next thing Obi-Wan became aware of was rough, calloused hands turning him over. He whimpered in pain, drawing away, expecting another jolt of agony.

Instead a low, quiet, blessedly _familiar_ voice sounded in his ear. "Shhh. . . It's alright, Master. It's alright, it's just me."

Obi-Wan forced his eyes to crack open and struggled to push himself up. "Anakin?" His voice rasped painfully in his throat, barely a whisper.

"Easy," the younger Jedi murmured. "You're safe now." He slid a gentle hand beneath Obi-Wan's shoulders, easing him up into a sitting position. A choked sob forced its way from Obi-Wan's throat at the pain the movement caused. Anakin murmured an apology, shifting to allow him to lean back against his shoulder. Obi-Wan did so, trembling.

Rex crouched beside the two of them. Obi-Wan looked blearily up at the clone who had given him the strength to continue on throughout these two weeks. He frowned.

"You're bleeding," he said hoarsely. Rex's mouth twisted into a strange smile.

"You would be concerned about a clone when you can barely sit up," he said with a wry chuckle. "Don't worry about me, sir, it's just a cut." He glanced at Anakin. "What now, General Skywalker?"

"Now," Anakin said, shifting to better support Obi-Wan, "we get out of here."

Obi-Wan looked around, for the first time realizing just how empty the pits were. He spotted several clones guiding the last few slaves toward the exits. The bodies of many of the guards, including those that had been tormenting him, lay scattered on the ground like fallen toy soldiers. "How-" he began, wincing at the stab in his chest, but Anakin cut him off.

"Later," he told him. "Let's get you out of here first. Do you think you can walk?"

Obi-Wan drew a shallow breath. "I'm not sure," he grunted, biting back a curse as he tried to push himself up and the pain flared again. Anakin put an arm around his waist and slowly helped him to his feet. The elder Jedi swayed, clutching at Anakin's arm in a desperate attempt to stay upright. With Anakin's assistance, he took a small, shaky step -

And promptly collapsed with a groan; his legs refused to support his weight. Anakin seemed to have expected this; he lunged to catch Obi-Wan, lowering him back to the ground. He slid sideways, Anakin's broad shoulder the only thing keeping him from pitching forward.

"I . . . I'm sorry, Anakin," he gasped, fighting for breath as his ribs seared. "I'm sorry, I can't. . . I have no strength left," he admitted in a voice barely above a whisper, not meeting his former apprentice's gaze. Anakin put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright," Obi-Wan heard in his ear. "Here, put your arm around me. C'mon." Obi-Wan shook his head weakly in protest.

"Anakin, I told you -"

"I'm not asking you to stand," Anakin said firmly. "I'm asking you to let me help." He reached out, pulled Obi-Wan's arm around his neck, and gathered him up into his arms. A small moan escaped Obi-Wan's mouth; Anakin murmured another apology, sending waves of healing through the Force. The pain lessened somewhat; he went limp in Anakin's arms, letting his forehead rest against his friend's shoulder. He felt, rather than heard, Anakin sigh in relief.

"Better?" Obi-Wan nodded silently. "Good." Anakin started to walk, Rex limping along beside them.

Every step, as gentle as Anakin was, sent a fresh burst of pain coursing through his body. The blackness threatened to engulf him; the temptation to give into it grew stronger by the second. Anakin seemed to sense this.

"It's alright, Master," he said as he walked. "Hang in there." They stepped out of the pits and into the hazy sunlight; Obi-Wan heard Anakin call to another clone, and looked up in time to see him jog over. "Take Captain Rex and see that he is tended to," Anakin ordered.

The clone saluted. "Yes, sir!" He took Rex by the arm and steered him away to one of the gunships. Anakin carried Obi-Wan to another; Obi-Wan winced as he was gently lowered to the floor. Anakin settled himself cross-legged by his head, resting a hand on his shoulder. The healing Force swept through his body, pulling him irresistibly toward unconsciousness. Anakin squeezed his shoulder lightly.

"Sleep," he said softly. "Everything's going to be alright, Master." He laid a gentle hand on the other Jedi's forehead; Obi-Wan felt the tug as Anakin nudged him closer to the soft darkness. "Sleep," he whispered.

He slept.


	3. Chapter 3

**Greetings! Again, my apologies for not posting sooner; school and all that. Aaaaaanyways, here's chapter number three! It's very dialogue-based; I'm not sure how I feel about that, so let me know what you think, please.** **Reviewers get cookies and hugs!  
**

* * *

 _Anakin's POV_

Anakin was sick with worry as he watched two clones lift his best friend onto a stretcher. It had taken every ounce of his concentration to conceal from Obi-Wan the fear, shock, and fury he had felt upon seeing his Master enduring such cruel treatment. The sight of Obi-Wan lying helpless on the ground, broken and bleeding, had awoken something inside him, a primal rage that burned deep within his chest. The monster had dispatched the offending guards without a second thought. It terrified him.

That beast had seemed to vanish as Anakin dropped to his knees beside his friend, replaced by worry and shock as he took in the full extent of Obi-Wan's condition. His tunic had been reduced to rags, his back a mess of bruises, grime, and blood. Ribs were visible beneath the damaged skin.

And the _sound_ Obi-Wan had made when Anakin turned him over, that little noise that betrayed just how much pain he was in. His _master_ , the strong, stoic Obi-Wan Kenobi, reduced to a crumpled shell of himself, shying away from Anakin's touch.

Anakin's heart ached as he followed the clones out of the gunship and towards the _Valiant_ 's med bay. Upon their arrival, he was just able to see Obi-Wan being transferred from the stretcher to a cold-looking examination table before he was chivied from the room by a medical droid. His arguments did no good; the droid shook its metal head firmly, told Anakin he would be informed the moment there was news, and shut the door.

He scowled at the closed door, then settled himself across the passageway on the cold durasteel floor, determined to wait. He reached out with his mind until he found Obi-Wan's faint Force signature and comfort and healing across their bond, frustrated at his inability to do anything else.

He waited a long time. Soldiers came and went; some bore the wounded. Others bore messages, some of which were for him. He learned that the slaves were all safely on-board the _Valiant_ , along with his Padawan. He took some small comfort in the news. He made no effort to search for Ahsoka - she was undoubtedly with her people, and he trusted her to find him when she was ready.

He turned his full attention to the man behind the door to the med bay once again, releasing his anxiety into the Force and focusing instead on the healing he sent to Obi-Wan. A faint flicker of recognition from the injured Jedi flashed through Anakin's mind. He was on his feet in an instant, increasing the comfort he sent as he felt his old Master slowly regaining consciousness and pain began to reverberate across their bond.

The door opened, and a clone poked his head out. "Sir, General Kenobi is -" Anakin pushed past him into the room wordlessly. The clone caught his arm. "Sir, I must ask that you exercise caution. The General is in a great deal of pain, and he's still very weak."  
"I am aware of this, soldier," Anakin said, his eyes on Obi-Wan. He hurried to his side, reaching out to clasp one hand. Obi-Wan stirred.

"Mmh. . . 'nakin?" he mumbled, eyes fluttering open. Anakin squeezed the limp hand in his, and was rewarded with a slight pressure in return.

"I'm right here, Master," he said quietly, throat constricted. Obi-Wan struggled to sit up, and Anakin saw the blood drain from his face. He quickly reached out and pushed him back to the pillows. "Easy. Lie still." He unconsciously smoothed back a wayward strand of auburn hair that had fallen into Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan sank back, trembling. He looked up at Anakin and a worried furrow creased his brow.

"You're hurt," he rasped. Anakin raised a hand to his face, remembering for the first time the cut across the bridge of his nose, the ugly bruise spreading along his cheekbone. He shook his head.

"I'm fine, Master," he said with a small smile. "I've had worse, you know that." He wiggled the fingers of his mechno pointedly, then frowned at the look on Obi-Wan's face. "What is it?" He reached out concernedly with his mind.

The torrent of emotions shocked him. Anakin belatedly remembered how some pain medications seemed to interfere with a Jedi's ability to connect to the Force; Obi-Wan's mental shields could be down for a while. Obi-Wan's mind was a chaotic whirlwind of pain, worry, and above all, an overwhelming sense of. . . guilt? He sent soothing waves to his master, letting the concern emanate from him. "Obi-Wan?"

"It's my fault," the other man muttered, not meeting Anakin's gaze.

"What?" Anakin was confused. "No, Master, I should've gotten to you sooner; you can't blame yourself for what they did to you -"

Obi-Wan cut him off, shaking his head. "No, it was my fault we got into this mess in the first place," he said. "I was sloppy. If I hadn't gone and gotten myself captured. . ." Anakin shook his head vehemently.

"No. We all make mistakes, Obi-Wan, and we can't control our surroundings. Don't you dare blame yourself for this." He gripped Obi-Wan's hand tighter. "Don't you _dare_."

Obi-Wan hung his head; Anakin lightly shook his shoulder, careful not to hurt him. "Hey. Look at me." He didn't; Anakin surprised even himself by leaning forward and grabbing his former Master's face, forcing it up and holding it that way until Obi-Wan lifted his eyes. Anakin repeated himself slowly, stressing each word. "This. Is. Not. Your. Fault. Got it?" Obi-Wan nodded slightly, little ripples of shame rolling off him. Anakin released his face and pulled him into a (very gentle) hug. "I'm just glad you're gonna be okay," he muttered, voice muffled by Obi-Wan's shoulder.

* * *

 _Obi-Wan's POV_

Surprised, Obi-Wan hesitantly returned the embrace, feeling a lump rise in the back of his throat. He bit his lip, embarrassed at the rush of emotions and glad Anakin couldn't see his face. Everything seemed slightly out-of-focus; he tried to release the distress into the Force and, to his alarm, couldn't do it. Anakin drew back with a sympathetic expression. Obi-Wan frowned at him.

"What?" He blinked; his voice echoed oddly in his ears. "Why can't I. . ." Anakin gave him a sad little smile.

"You realize your shields are down, right? I can hear you."

Obi-Wan felt his face flush. _Oh, kriff_.

Anakin laughed, and Obi-Wan swatted ineffectually at his arm. "Don't you dare tell anyone," he growled. Still looking amused, Anakin agreed, then hugged his former Master again.

Such shows of administration were unusual for the two of them but, well, these were unusual circumstances, Obi-Wan thought vaguely as tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he said in a choked voice. "I don't -"

Anakin waved him off. "Obi-Wan. From what Rex has told me, the past two weeks have been a nightmare. You're hurt, you're tired, and you're on who knows what drugs right now. I'd say you've earned this," he said gently. "There's nothing to apologize for."

The tears slid down his cheeks even as he fought to hold them back. Anakin moved from his chair to sit on the edge of the bed, putting an arm around him. Obi-Wan cried softly into Anakin's shoulder, the waves of exhaustion, pain, and shame threatening to drown him.

The door opened, and there was a little squeak of surprise. "Oh! I. . . sorry! They told me you were in here and that Master Kenobi was awake and -"

"Now's not a good time, Snips," Anakin reprimanded softly.

"Sorry!" The door closed again, and Anakin returned his attention to Obi-Wan, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.

"It's going to be alright," he said. "You're safe now; you're going to be fine. Easy. . ."

They stayed that way for what seemed like a very long time, Obi-Wan weeping silently into the dark material of Anakin's tunic as his friend held him close, letting him soak the fabric with tears.

Eventually, Obi-Wan took a shaky breath, wiping at his face with the back of his hand. Anakin squeezed his arm comfortingly. "Better?" He nodded wearily, keeping his face down and forehead resting against Anakin's shoulder. He felt drained.

Anakin rubbed his shoulder again. "Hey. Try and rest, okay? You need it." Obi-Wan nodded again and allowed Anakin to help him lie on his uninjured side. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

 **I'm not really a big fan of this chapter. . . bleh. The next chapter's going to be much longer, as well; hopefully I'll be getting that one up fairly soon. Constructive criticism is welcome! I would greatly appreciate suggestions on how to make this chapter better - as I said, I'm not particularly fond of it.**


	4. Author's Note

**A message and question from the author (me!):**

 **Hellooooo, lovely readers! I promise, my next chapter's going to be up soon; I've been super busy and haven't had time to type it up. It's all written in my writer's notebook and ready to enter into the computer, so it shouldn't be too long now.**

 **In the meantime, I have a question for all of you. Tomorrow marks the beginning of Spirit Week for my school, and Monday is Disney Day. As you all know, Star Wars is now part of the Disney franchise, which means my best friend and I are going as a Jedi/Padawan pair (I'm older, so I'm the Jedi and she's the Padawan). Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do with my hair? I'd like to do something fun with it, but I'm at a bit of a loss, unless I do a half-up hairstyle like Qui-Gon's. The only issue I have with that hairstyle is that it's something I wear fairly frequently as an everyday style, so it's not going to stand out at all. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have straight blonde hair that falls to about 6 inches below my shoulders.**

 **The next chapter shall be posted as soon as possible! Have a wonderful day, and may the Force be with you!**

 **-Allana**


	5. Chapter 4

**Okay guys, I'm having a bit of a problem. My parents are being absolutely** ** _ridiculous_** **about grades, and my mom has taken away my writer's notebook for the time being (this is because I have B's in a few classes, and that's not good enough for them), because she says I'm "wasting time and effort on stupid stories." That notebook has this story, completed, written down in it. So it may be a while before I'm able to get the next chapter up - it depends on when I get the notebook back. I know this one is** ** _really_** **short; it's kind of a little in-between-events chapter. It just didn't seem right when I tried to combine it with either the previous chapter or the next one, so I decided to leave it as its own mini-chapter.**

 **Also, a huge thank you to Lost Lauren, Sapphirestream, Torli, BuruPlays2, TGP212th, and** **ObiAniSoka for their input on my Jedi costume for Spirit Week! The help was very much appreciated, and my friend and I had a blast playing Master and Padawan for the day :)**

 **Reviewers get cookies and hugs!**

* * *

Anakin sighed in relief as he watched Obi-Wan's eyes slip closed, face relaxing as sleep overtook him once again. To say that his master's loss of control had surprised him would be an understatement. It had taken a good deal of concentration on his part to push his alarm aside and remind himself that Obi-Wan was not in full control of his emotions at the moment.

He remembered (very vaguely) a similar experience of his own after his and Ahsoka's ship had been shot down over Gamor; he had ended up in the halls of healing with three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken pelvis. If Obi-Wan was to be believed, he had become almost hysterical at one point; his recklessness had almost gotten Ahsoka killed, and had left her with a severe concussion and bruised ribs. She had scolded him like a youngling for his distress and cuffed him across the head. After assuring himself that neither of them were in danger, Obi-Wan had found the entire situation highly amusing.

So he understood what Obi-Wan was going through, at least to an extent. Not only was the elder jedi in pain and on powerful drugs to combat it, but his mind was in turmoil to begin with. His two weeks on Kadavo, Anakin had gathered, had been hell. He was exhausted and hurting, his mental capacity already below its usually-prodigious norm. Quite simply, he had nothing left to give.

Anakin leaned back in his chair, watching Obi-Wan sleep. A small tap on the door broke his concentration. "Come in," he called in a low voice that probably wasn't needed. He had a feeling that a herd of bantha could've broken down that door and Obi-Wan wouldn't have stirred. The door opened and Ahsoka peeked inside. Anakin beckoned to her, and she stepped into the room.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she whispered, glancing down at Obi-Wan as she approached. Anakin waved a hand dismissively.

"You didn't know, it's alright. Remember what happened after we got shot down at Gamor? How, ah, _irrationally_ I was acting afterwards?" Ahsoka nodded, eyes twinkling at the memory. "That was an interesting time, wasn't it?"

Anakin gave a wry chuckle and smiled. "For you, maybe." He looked down at Obi-Wan and his smile faded somewhat. "This is similar."

Ahsoka nodded, understanding in her face as she gazed down at the sleeping Jedi Master. "Is he going to be okay?" Her voice was small; Anakin was forcibly reminded of the young girl he had met on a battlefield years ago. He sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. He's going to be fine; he just needs to rest," he said softly. "Did you need something earlier?"

She shrugged. "I just wanted to let you know that we got all the slaves safely on board." She looked at Obi-Wan. "And I wanted to see how Master Kenobi was." Anakin nodded and rose to his feet, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Snips," he said tiredly. "You did well to save your people today." A small smile lit up her face at the praise as she looked up at him, some of the tension visibly leaving her. Anakin glanced back at the sleeping Obi-Wan and reached out tentatively through their link. Faint undercurrents of pain rippled through the other man's subconscious; he brushed them away with a light touch of his mind. "Come on," he murmured, steering Ahsoka towards the door. "Let's let him sleep." They quietly slipped from the room, Anakin dimming the lights as he went.

* * *

 **Like I said, a _very_ short chapter. The next one is much longer, I promise!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello, my beautiful, ever-patient readers! I'm so, so, so, SO sorry it's been so long since I updated this - school has basically taken over my life, and I've got AP exams and finals coming up soon. But lucky for all of us, I just finished my spring break, and had time to write the final chapter (this is actually the second version - I wrote the first one, hated it, completely rewrote it, and it's still by no means my favorite)! So, without further ado, here it is: the final installation of my first published fanfiction: Once a Jedi Master - Now a Jedi Slave.**

* * *

Several rotations later, Obi-Wan found himself discharged from the Halls of Healing - partly, he suspected, because of the amount of grumbling he had done.

He really did hate hospitals, he thought as he walked with Anakin to his quarters. He still limped slightly, but was able to walk unaided. He had made this very plain to Anakin earlier when the younger Jedi had gone to support Obi-Wan as he pushed himself out of bed for the first time in almost 72 hours.

"I'm not a youngling, Anakin; I can do this," he had snapped, pushing him off.

He could not, however, seem to stop Anakin from hovering beside him as they walked. He paused when they reached his door, opening it and looking up at his former Padawan. "I appreciate your concern, Anakin, but I am more than capable of taking care of myself at this point," he said mildly. He held up a hand as Anakin opened his mouth to protest. "Please, Anakin. I've had healers and medical droids hovering over me for days; I really would just like some peace and quiet for a while."

Anakin hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "I. . . okay. You'll call me if you need anything?" _._

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I will. Don't worry about me," he said with a small smile.

"Promise?"

"I promise," Obi-Wan said placatingly. "Why don't you go find Ahsoka?" He paused and frowned. "I hope you haven't been neglecting her training because of me." Anakin shook his head.

"Her classes have kept her pretty busy lately," he said. "I suppose the timing worked out well." He glanced down at his chronometer. "I did promise her a sparring session today, though. I should probably go." He looked up at Obi-Wan again. "You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm _fine_ , Anakin." He sighed in exasperation. "Really, go on."

Anakin nodded and, with one more backward glance, strode off down the corridor in search of his Padawan. Obi-Wan shook his head, amused at his friend's tenacity, and stepped into his rooms, closing the door behind him. His gaze swept the room, taking in the sparse furniture and his few personal possessions, neatly arranged on a shelf beside his bed. He paused. Blast - he'd left the datapad he had been reading in the Halls of Healing. He briefly debated going back to retrieve it before deciding against it and, sighing, draped his robe over the back of a chair and crossed the small room to his wardrobe. He would fetch the datapad later. He pulled out a fresh tunic, eager to shed the tattered, if now clean, clothes he had changed back into for the short trip from the Halls to his room.

He made to close the wardrobe's door and froze, staring. A pale, gaunt face stared back at him from the mirror, auburn hair hanging limply. He raised a hand slowly, brushing it against his cheek, and the man in the mirror did the same. He hadn't seen himself since his return from Kadavo, and his appearance shocked him. No wonder Anakin had fussed over him.

Very hesitantly, Obi-Wan turned his back to the mirror and pulled the ragged tunic over his head, casting it to the floor. He twisted to peer over his shoulder and sucked in a breath. His back was littered with half-healed welts, cuts, and bruises; the bacta treatment he had received upon his return had considerably lessened the damage, but there would still be significant scarring. He turned back to the mirror and sighed. His torso was equally battered, and he could almost count his own ribs. He dropped his leggings, surveying the damage with lips pressed tightly together before pulling on a fresh pair.

He was still staring at himself when a soft tap at the door jolted him from his reverie. He looked around as the door slid open, and rolled his eyes. "I thought you were going to find Ahsoka?"

"She's still in class; she won't be out for another hour," Anakin explained. "I saw Healer Che just now and she asked me to give you this." He held up Obi-Wan's wayward datapad. "You left it in the Halls." He set it on the table. Obi-Wan turned his back, feeling Anakin's gaze burning into him as he picked up the tunic on his bed and pulled it on.

"Thank you," he said, not turning around. Anakin shifted behind him; Obi-Wan could feel his anxiety and discomfort. "If you're going to say something, Anakin, say it. Don't just stand there like an awkward Padawan."

"Sorry," Anakin muttered. "I just. . . don't dwell on it, okay? You're the one always telling me to let it go, not to hang onto negative things. It wasn't your fault."

Obi-Wan turned to face his former Padawan with a strange smile. "That would be easier to do if it was true."

"Master. Do you remember what I told you the other day?"

"Bits and pieces," Obi-Wan admitted with a wry laugh. "I wasn't exactly coherent." A small smile tugged at the corners of Anakin's mouth as he moved to perch on the edge of the bed. Obi-Wan followed him.

"I told you that we all make mistakes; we can't control our surroundings," Anakin said quietly. "You can't blame yourself for this, alright? You always do this. _It's not your fault_ ," he stressed, leaning forward.

Obi-Wan ducked his head, not meeting Anakin's gaze. "I wish I could be as sure of that as you," he mumbled. "Anakin, if I hadn't gotten captured, we never would have gotten into this in the first place. I ruined our plan -"

"Since when do any of our missions ever go according to plan?" Anakin's tone was incredulous. "That's normal for us!" He elbowed Obi-Wan goodnaturedly. "Why do you think we always end up improvising?"

Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that many of our improvisations would appear to stem from your disregard for our plans and orders, my friend." He grinned.

"Me? Disregard orders? Master, I don't know what would ever give you that idea," Anakin said, feigning a hurt expression. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

Obi-Wan laughed – his first real laugh in almost three weeks. Anakin's suppressed smile split into a wide grin as he burst out laughing along with his friend. The younger man flung a companionable arm around his shoulders, shaking his head and chuckling. It was several moments before they regained their composure.

"Thank you, my friend," Obi-Wan said quietly. Anakin squeezed his shoulder.

"No need to thank me," he said, smiling. "Just don't beat yourself up about this, okay?" Obi-Wan nodded, and Anakin pushed himself to his feet, offering a hand to Obi-Wan. "Feel up to joining us for sparring practice?"

Obi-Wan accepted the proffered hand, allowing his former Padawan to pull him up. "I'd like that."

"Just don't tell Healer Che." Anakin winked conspiratorially, and Obi-Wan chuckled again.

"No, I should think not," he said. "She might not be too pleased with us."

"You'd think she would have learned by now to just not bother with the whole 'no strenuous activity' schpiel. . . We don't listen."

" _You_ don't listen," Obi-Wan corrected.

"Hey, you're coming with me now, aren't you?"

"Fair enough."

Anakin shook his head in amusement, still smiling. "C'mon, let's go. We can get in a practice round before Ahsoka gets out of class."

As reckless and mercurial as the younger man tended to be, he _did_ have moments where his wisdom shone through in a way that never failed to surprise Obi-Wan. His former apprentice had grown more than he sometimes gave him credit for, he reflected. Anakin's playful banter had pulled him almost effortlessly from his self-deprecating thoughts, and he followed his friend into the hall feeling more like himself than he had in weeks.

* * *

 **So, that's it. A huge thank-you to every single wonderful person who has taken the time to read this entire story, and to those who wrote the encouraging reviews and reminders (I'm looking at you, ObiAniSoka - I needed that little nudge!) that spurred me to continue writing and posting. You guys are the best, and I greatly appreciate it.**

 **Now that this is completed, I'm opening up the floor for requests and suggestions! If there's a story idea or plot bunny you'd like to share, please feel free :) I've got several stories that are half-completed at the moment, but nothing that's anywhere near ready to post yet. Eventually, I'll get a few of those up, but they need some work still. Most are singular scenes that popped into my head and I just had to get written before I forgot them. I'm open to joint-writing stories as well, if that's something anyone is interested in.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this! As always, reviews are lovely and reviewers will receive cookies. *Holds up plate of cookies* See? Everyone who's already reviewed gets one! *Hands out cookies***


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